Means for loading and unloading motor-trucks.



No. 800,164. PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905.

' T. E. MORFORD & w. v. LOWE. MEANS FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING MOTORTRUCKS.

APPLICATION FILED MAILB. 1902. RENEWED APR. 14.19Q5. 2SHBETS-SHEETL No.800,164. v PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905,

- T. B. MORPORD & W. v. LOWE.

MEANS FOR LOADING AND 'UNLOADING MOTOR TRUCKS.

APPLIGATI0N FILED MAR.8,1902. RENEWED APR.14.1905.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

linden-fora mlfw-lessesz T E.MO1fc v o /61 WW I Lowe UNITED STATESPATENT onnion.

OHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO MORGAN MOTOR (10., 'OF WORCESTER,

MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

MEANS FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING MOTOR-TRUCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Application filed March 8, 1902. Renewed April 14, 1905. Serial No.255,664-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THoMAs E. MORFORD and 'WILLIAM V. Lown, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester andState of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Means for Loadingand Unloading Motor Trucks, of which the following is a specification. r

This invention relates to that class of powerdriven vehicles or truckswhich are employed for ordinary trucking or freight-handling purposes.

The especial object of this invention is to provide an apparatus forloading and unloading motor-trucks which is so constructed that thestarting up of the'truck from the loadingplatform will automaticallyload the truck, while the backing of the truck into position willautomatically unload the truck. To these ends to practice our inventionthe loadingplatform is provided with frames which eX- tend therefrom inposition to support the sides of a crate or bodyportion. Between theframes are'slips or stalls, each of which is just wide enough to receivea motor-truck, and leading to the stalls are ways or tracks.

In practicing our invention we preferably utilize the power furnished bythe truck itself forautomatically loading and unloading the same, and toaccomplish this the supporting-frames and the tracks have a relativeinclination with respect to each other, the tracks being inclineddownwardly toward the rear end of the stalls or the supporting-framessloping down .toward their outer end. In either event the relativeinclination is preferably comparatively slight, so as not to op pose toogreat a resistance to the starting up of the truck.

Any desired connection can be employed between the crate or body portionand the truck, so that when it is desired to load the truck it can bedone by simply starting the truck away from the loading-platform, so asto draw the crate or body portion out along its supporting-frames untilthe relative inclination of the supporting-frames and tracks will causethe load to be picked up or carried on the platform of the truck.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is a side view,partially in section, of an apparatus for practicing our invention,having an inclined track for the truck to run on; and Fig. 2 is asimilar view of a modification employing inclined frames for supportingthe sides ofthe crate.

Referring to the drawings and in detail, B designates aloading-platform, extending out from which are the frames or piers A forsupporting the sides of a crate or body portion P, which crate or bodyportion may, if desired, be provided with wheels to facilitate the samewhen desired out on the piers or frames A. The wheels may be grooved orfitted to suitable tracks orv guides on the su pports A. so that thecrate or body can be pushed into accurate position over theslip.

Between the piers or frames A are stalls, each one of which is wideenough to receive a motor-truck, and leading down into the stalls areinclined tracks O, provided with a stop or bumper E for limiting themotion of th truck. I

The truck herein illustrated is of an ordinary form, consisting of aplatform mounted to run on front wheels 10 and rear wheels 11, saidtruck being provided near its forward end with an engineefis cage 34:,containing the boiler 33, which furnishes the steam for operating theengine which drives the truck, which engine and other operatingmechanism it is not necessary herein to show or describe.

Any convenient fastening devicefor exam ple, an ordinary hook 71may beemployed for fastening the crate or body portion P to the truck, or, ifdesired, the truck may be provided with removable posts 72for moreaccurately guiding the same into position. Either the hook 71 or theremovable post 72, or both, constitute a means for connecting the crateor body to the truck; By means of this construction when a truck hasbeenbacked into position, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and the hook71 isconnected to fasten the the crate or body portion to the truck bystarting the truck away from the platform B the crate or body portion Pwill be drawn out along the piers or frames A until it is picked up orrests upon the truck.

,In some cases instead of using inclined tracks the frames or supportsfor the sides of the crate may be inclined, and we have illustrated sucha construction in Fig. 2. As shown in this figure, the frames forsupporting the sides of the crate or body portion P may conthe moving ofthe crate and the pushing of sist of beams or girders I, on which thewheels on the crate may be fitted, the extreme outer ends of which areinclined downwardly and connected to posts or supports J, so that bymeans of this construction when the truck is started away from theplatform B the crate or body portion will be picked up or caused to restupon the platform of the truck substantially in the same manner as inFig. 1, although in the construction illustrated in Fig. 2 the tracks 0are not inclined.

To unload a truck according to our invention, the crate or body portionmay be blocked or braced from the engineers cage, as illustrated bydotted lines in both Figs. 1 and 2, so that by backing the truck backinto its slip or stall the crate or body portion will be picked up offof the truck, and by then unfastening the hook 71 and, if necessary,removing the posts 72 the truck can be started away from the platform B,leaving the crate or body portion supported at its sides by the framesor piers which extend out from the platform.

We are aware that changes may be made in practicing our invention bythose who are skilled in the art without departing from the scopethereof as expressed in the claims. We do not wish, therefore, to belimited to the constructions we have herein shown and described; but,

What we do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of amotor-truck, a crate or body therefor, a slip or way into which thetruck may be run, and supports at the sides of the slip for engaging thecrate or body, said supports and the surface on which the truck moves asit passes into said slip being relatively inclined to each other,whereby as the truck moves into position in said slip a crate or bodywill be unloaded therefrom.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of amotor-truck, a crate or body therefor, a slip or way into which thetruck may be run, supports at the sides of the slip or Way for engagingthe crate or body, and means for connecting the crate or body to thetruck, the surface on which the truck moves in said slip beingrelatively inclined to the supports, whereby the movement of the truckout of the slip will move the crate or body out along its supports untilit is loaded onto the truck.

3. In an apparatus for loading or unloading trucks, the combination of aplatform, frames extending from said platform, a crate or body adaptedto have its sides supported by the frames, a motor-truck, tracks or waysarranged so that the truck may be run into place beneath the crate orbody, the tracks or ways and the supports for the sides of the cratehaving a relative inclination with respect to each other, and means forconnecting the crate or body to the motor-truck, so that when saidmotor-truck moves away, the crate or body will be carried out along itssupports and loaded onto the truck.

4:. In an apparatus for loadingor unloading motor-trucks, thecombination of a platform, piers or supports extending out from saidplatform, a crate or body portion adapted to have its sides supported onthe piers or frames, a motor-truck, inclined tracks located so that thetruck may be backed into place beneath the crate or body, means forconnecting the crate or body to the truck, so that when the truck movesaway from the platform, the crate or body will be moved outalong itssupports, and loaded onto the truck, or so that the crate or body may beunloaded from the truck when the truck is backed into place on itstracks.

5. In an apparatus for loadingor unloading motor-trucks, the combinationof a platform, piers or supports leading out from said platform, a crateor body adapted to have its sides supported on the piers or frames, amotor-truck, tracks having their rear ends inclined downwardly so thatthe motor-truck can be backed into position beneath the crate or body, abumper for stopping the motortruck in proper position, and a hook forcoupling the crate or body to the motor-truck, so that when the truckstarts away from the platform, the crate or body will be drawn out alongits supports and loaded onto the truck, or so that when the truck isbacked into position, the crate or body will be unloaded from the truck.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

TH ON A S E. M ()RFO hl \VM. V. LOWE.

itnesses:

EDWARD RAT] I BUN, MYRoN EAMns DAVIS.

